Habitat & Conservation  |  11/02/2021

Grand National Quail Hunt organizations and Oklahoma donor team up to donate $50,000 to Quail Forever


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Supporting the organization’s strategic priorities for quail habitat conservation efforts in the state of Oklahoma, Quail Forever is proud to announce a combined $50K donation from the Grand National Quail organizations and Oklahoma-based donor John Groendyke.

The Grand National organizations recently teamed up to give $30,000 to support Quail Forever’s Call of the Uplands® campaign. On top of that, longtime club member John Groendyke donated an additional $20,000. A check presentation was held July 8 at Groendyke’s lodge where the $50,000 cumulative gift was presented to Quail Forever in support of its Oklahoma strategic initiatives.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Call of the Uplands Campaign is a national effort to conserve, restore or enhance 9 million acres of upland habitat in the United States. Every acre tells a story, and as habitat declines nationwide it’s more important than ever to conserve wild places. Between 1966 and 2015, northern bobwhite quail populations decreased 82 percent across their entire range. These donations will work to restore vital upland habitat designed to enhance the Oklahoma quail population.

“Quail hunters and conservation advocates are vital to our efforts to restore the whistle of the bobwhite quail to Oklahoma and across the country,” said Jordan L.K. Martincich, the Director of Development at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. “We want to thank the Grand National Quail organizations and John Groendyke for their generous donation in support of this cause.”

The Grand National Quail organizations consist of four separate entities — the Grand National Quail Club, the Grand National Gun Club, the Grand National Quail Foundation, and the Past Shooters Council. They share a common passion for quail hunting, quail habitat, and passing on the outdoor heritage. They often combine to provide financial support for outdoor-related education, habitat projects and more.

“The Grand National has always had a mission focused on habitat and conservation, and in my experience as a landowner, club member and wildlife commissioner, there’s no better group to support in this part of the country than Quail Forever,” said John Groendyke, who also points to Quail Forever’s local presence being a boon for quail and quail habitat. “They’re always coming forward to support local projects and support biologists who work with landowners. That’s important, considering over 97 percent of Oklahoma is privately owned.”

The donation comes at a time when Quail Forever efforts are ramping up in Oklahoma. There are now 19 Quail Forever chapters in the state, with a total membership of nearly 2,000. Additionally, Quail Forever employs four wildlife biologists who provide complimentary conservation planning with private landowners. To date since 2015, Oklahoma biologists have contacted more than 1,924 landowners and made 1,158 site visits to impact more than 201,908 acres across Oklahoma.

“One of the important things we saw with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever was how they were taking private dollars and investing in the future of quail and pheasants right here in Oklahoma,” said David Henneke, the Grand National Quail Foundations’ board chair. “They share our mission, and that’s why we wanted to support them. They do a lot to develop habitat and make sure we don’t lose quail or pheasant in our part of the world.”


About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

 

Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever habitat projects have impacted 20 million acres nationwide. Please contact Laura McIver, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Regional Representative, at lmciver@quailforever.org to learn how you can support Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Oklahoma wildlife habitat conservation mission.

 

Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org


Casey Sill is the public relations specialist at the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever national headquarters in White Bear Lake, Minn.